If it Were Up to Me
by Gothic Valley Girl
Summary: Is New York City the best place to keep a wild Princess? Kate doesn't believe so, but when her cousin Amelia is sent to live with her, she is starting to lose all control on her home, friends, and love life.
1. Default Chapter

An: Hey everyone, new Princess Diaries story from me. Once again it's a second generation fic, which seems to be the only decent thing I can write. I own everyone but Lilly, Michael and Mia (those are obviously Meg Cabot's), so please read, review, and enjoy.

My name is Kate Turner. I'm a bored out of my mind, drama stupid that is just going through high school life until the real world comes. My mother, the leading controversial news anchorwoman on CNN, Lily Moschovitz, she was recently given a Pulitzer Prize on her latest book. My father is Jacob Turner, a psychoanalyst that works with my grandparents. Both my parents tell me I don't apply myself. I can't help it if I hate school, I like English, and I like Speech and Theater. Anything else I go through the motions, yet still get A's. Most of my friends hate me for that, but I don't care.

I'm rather normal, I believe. My parents aren't, and my aunts and uncles are even worse. My dad's family is psychotic, which explains his career path. His sister committed several murders before she reached the age of 21. His brother is a politician, and my grandmother on that side is like numb from all the anti-depressants she takes (grandfather was once a psychiatrist). My mom's brother married a princess of a small country, and now she's the ruler. Sort of a Queen, but it's not a monarchy. My cousin is a princess, and spoiled rotten. My mom always says she doesn't know how she got that way, because my Uncle Michael was always down to earth, my aunt was a little "unassertive" and easily freaked out, but was also normal. They were geeks too. But Amelia, she's a total brat. Every other month she's in some tabloid about being a party girl. Last week, it was an exposure on strip-bowling. My mom was really frightened about that, or embarrassed, not sure. I don't think it's come out yet that we are related to them.

And now, she's being sent here to live. So if it hasn't been publicized before that I'm cousin to royalty, it will be tomorrow. I'll be living with my 15 year old cousin that has been in more newspapers because she was drunk than my mom had because she wrote the articles.

And what is my big achievement? I was in a play once. Hopefully senior year things will change.

It's funny how familiar you can become with the back of someone's head. I have at this point tuned out the teacher, and am focusing on the back of Nick's head, writing in my notebook to make it look like I'm paying attention. I'm glad I decided to get a regular notebook as a journal, than those cutesy small ones that the teacher would notice right away.

It's not fair that I like him so much, or that he sits in the front of the room while I sit in the back. Then the next class he sits on the opposite side of the room. Then as the rest of the day goes on, we don't see each other, until the subway ride home, where he asks me about certain assignments and I try to recite a poem or passage I have to know for Speech or Theater.

It's a pretty standard relationship. Sometimes we hang out, other times it's just sitting next to each other on the subway witching head phones now and then.

It's crazy, but I like him so much.

The one thing I hate more than the first week of school is all the dumb "Get to know your classmates" things. I hate them so much. I've done about 4 already, and its only 3rd period! In Biology 2, slacker course above all slacker courses, I had to make a star with my favorite movie, food, animal, saying, and flower in each other the points. So of course, I must make sarcastic remarks. Movie: Space Balls, food: Chocolate covered crickets (which I tried in China Town last month with Nick), Animal: Those crickets, Saying: Grrrr Flower: Skunk Cabbage (which really is a plant). Then we had to go around the room and find people to sign different things. Like we had to find someone with blue eyes, then someone that water skis, and someone that has been out of the country. Now, after a while, those get boring. Especially when you're a senior and you've been doing them since 2nd grade. I just signed the one that liked liver every time. Now, I've never actually ate liver, but I didn't want to be bothered really.

So my cousin is arriving today. On the subway ride home, I think Nick knew something was up. I was staring at the warning signs written in Spanish, not really reading it.

"Are you alright?" He asked, pulling the headphones off my ears.

"Eh, yeah. Sorry, did you need help with the Calc?"

"No, you just had this look on your face as though you were going to throw up."

"My cousin is coming to stay with us for awhile."

"Which one? The drug addict, the cowboy, or the princess?"

"Princess."

"She's hot. How long is she staying?" I rolled my eyes and put my headphones back on. First lesson I'm teaching my son when he hits puberty, never ever talk about how attractive girls are to other girls, even if the girl you are telling is just a friend. Because, its never just friends.

I live in a moderately sized apartment on 81st. Nick used to live next door, and then his parents got divorced. He waved to me as he got off at his stop.

When I finished the trek home, I saw a black limousine parked in front of the fire hydrate. Where was a cop when you needed it? I would have loved to see Amelia's limo get towed away. I climbed the staircase to get to my apartment. We have an elevator, but I hate using it. The guy that pushes the buttons always expects a tip. I don't even know why he's in there. I always tell my parents that he's probably a bum. I reached our floor, and could hear Amelia's loud chatter. I unlocked the door and went inside. Amelia was standing in the hallway talking on a cell phone. My aunt and uncle were sitting on the couch talking to my dad.

"I'm home!" I called, hanging the house key on the hook. My dad waved me over. I sat my backpack on the floor and walked over. My aunt jumped up and hugged me.

"I haven't seen you n so long! You're so pretty," she said in a sappy voice. I blushed. The Queen was telling me I was pretty. "How are you? I bet you have a lot of boyfriends."

"I don't." I muttered. "I'm more one of the guys."

"And we like her that way." My dad joked.

"Amelia, get off the phone and say hello to your cousin." My uncle, the Prince Consort, said. Amelia rolled her eyes and covered her free ear.

"I've got to go, ciao," Amelia said to the anonymous person on the other end. For being French, she sure speaks every other language. "Hey, Kathleynn." Then she pocketed the cell phone. "So which room is mine?"

"Kate, can you show her to the guest room?" My dad asked.

"Sure." I walked past Amelia heading down the hall from my room.

The guest room was bigger than my room, but plainer. Where I had posters from Broadway plays, and picture of Audrey Hepburn, there was a reproduction of a Monet painting and light blue wall paper. I had a small twin bed with a comforter that resembled paint splatters or colorful amoebas. The guest room had a quilt my mom bought when we went to Lancaster Pennsylvania.

"Eww, its so small." Amelia complained. "Where's your room?"

"My room is smaller than this one."

"How do you live like this?"

"We cope, after all, not all of us can live in a palace."

"It will do, I'll have someone bring up my bags then." She pulled out her cell phone. "Julia, hun. You won't believe the place they are having me stay!" I took that as a cue to leave.

"She's just gotten to be so much trouble lately. Every time we turn around she's getting kicked out of the boarding schools, getting drunk, being in the tabloids," my aunt Mia told my dad in a hushed voice. "She's gone through so many bodyguards."

"And most of them I fired because I walked in on their...."

"Extracurricular activities." My aunt interrupted.

"Are you sure she wouldn't be more comfortable in the Plaza or something?" I asked, looking back to where she was complaining about my home.

"Kate, are you nuts? She's a wild child, she needs parent supervision." My dad said.

"And that's something Mia and I can't do all the time. Having to travel, and we're hoping New York will help calm her down a bit." My uncle Michael said.

"You're joking right? New York is like party central, and drugs and clubs, you're just asking for her to get knocked up," I complained.

"We grew up here with no problem, and hopefully this will be more structured than Genovia is." My aunt Mia said. My dad placed a caring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't you worry, Lilly and I will keep a close eye on her. And I'm sure Kate wouldn't mind showing her cousin around to the right places."

"Oh no you don't, I'm not going to baby-sit," I protested. "Doesn't she have a bodyguard for that?"

Vortexofannoyance: I can't believe this

SoundofSilence: Wha?

Vortexofannoyance: Amelia, she has captured my bathroom!

Vortexofannoyance: Its all pink, frilly, and stinks of perfume

SoundofSilence: That's tragic

SoundofSilence: So what is she like?

Vortexofannoyance: Hitler in a miniskirt

SoundofSilence: haha, that bad?

Vortexofannoyance: Yes, at dinner she never once got off her phone. I can't imagine the bill she has each month.

Vortexofannoyance: And tomorrow she's coming to school with me

SoundofSilence: That should be interesting.

SoundofSilence: Princess at Large: doing Calculus instead of Charles

Vortexofannoyance: That was so bad

SoundofSilence: Speaking of calculus, what did you get for number 9?

Vortexofannoyance: You're kidding me right? Like I have time to do homework?

SoundofSilence: Are you going to be on the subway in the morning? Think you could help me out?

Vortexofannoyance: Actually, Amelia insists that we take her limo to school, I tried to explain rush hour and traffic, but she's not hearing it. She doesn't want to be down with the rats.

SoundofSilence: I've never seen a rat on the metro before.

Vortexofannoyance: She saw my English project, where I described myself as a subway rat, and now she thinks there are rats in the subway.

SoundofSilence: Too bad, I'll have to ask Brad for help then.

Vortexofannoyance: I'll see you after school, are you staying for auditions?

SoundofSilence: Of course. Can't leave my leading lady standing.

Vortexofannoyance: Break a leg, but I have to go because I might just break Amelia's if she doesn't stop kicking at the door.

SoundofSilence: Don't do that, its against foreign policy to kill a diplomat.

Vortexofannoyance: Bye!

I swung the door open and glared at her.

"I need your computer." She said, pushing past me.

"Uh, no, it's mine. I had to buy it, so find your own. Go tax some people to get one if you have to." I rushed over to it and shut the lid down. "Please get out of my room."

"Eww, yeah right. I need to talk to my friends, give me your computer."

"Eww? Is that all you say, eww? No, you're not using my computer. I had to work at a drug store all summer to buy it. I'm not going to let you run up my internet bill."

"I order you to give me that computer." She yelled. I couldn't help but laugh at her. She glared and started to turn red.

"Princess, we are in America now, so go talk to your friends on that phone of yours, I'm in the middle of something." I gently guided her out of my room and shut the door, locking it immediately. She started to scream and kick at it again.

"KATE! Give your cousin the computer just for a second! Please! I need to get some sleep!" My mom yelled from her bedroom. I rolled my eyes and obeyed. I unlocked the door and handed the computer over to the brat. I was defeated by my mother. By the look in her eye, I think Amelia found my weakness.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: After a two year hiatus from Fan fiction, I found myself without a job for the first time in 5 years and wanting to write more. So I am now updating my favorite story I've ever written, I hope you enjoy it.

I groggily woke up to someone honking their horn below our building. I turned to look at my clock on my nightstand and it said 1:20. I groaned and pulled the covers back over my head.

Then it dawned on me that my clock was blinking…. Like it does when the electric goes out from a storm, or when you unplug it then plug it back in. I screamed and jumped out of bed seeing that it was daylight outside. Quickly I searched my room in a blurry frenzy trying to find my glasses. They were underneath my calc homework and beside it was my cell phone.

Shit, it was 8:47; first period started 17 minutes ago.

I ran out of my room and right into a blonde Amazon.

So that really wasn't a nightmare. There in a towel outside of my bathroom stood my cousin Princess Amelia.

"You are a very heavy sleeper" she said in French staring at me with my Phantom of the Opera towel wrapped around her. "Your alarm was buzzing this morning and I came in and unplugged it so I could get some more sleep."

"I needed that alarm! Why didn't you just wake me up? We're late for school now!"

"Silly school doesn't start until 11." She responded.

"Maybe in Genovia, but here homeroom starts at 8."

"Eight? Eight? That is unbelievable! How in the world is one supposed to wake up that early?"

"Just get ready; I don't want to be later than I already am."

I've been sitting in our apartment lobby with the limo driver for 24 minutes. I look stupid in my green kilt and blazer next to the oldest man I've ever seen in a black tux outside of a casket.

Finally here she comes prancing out of the elevator wearing…

I can't believe this. Who did I piss off to deserve this? We might as well not even go to school today because it's already 4th period by now. I'm sitting on the curb of 5th Avenue while I watch Amelia dressed in a slim pink halter dress screaming into her cell phone while a cop writes up the limo driver for reckless driving, driving with an expired license, and the license plate light being out. Terry, the driver, who I learned is 78 and his license expired 18 years ago, had been too busy listening to Amelia demanding that he stop at a Starbucks on the way to school that he forgot to stop for the traffic light and t-boned a tour bus!

If I miss auditions because of this, I'm calling up Genovia's embassy to take her back already.

I ran into my Speech Class with ten minutes left of class.

"Kate Turner! What a pleasure to actually have you in class today." Mrs. Frazure said as I exploded through the doorway. "Would you like to give your speech now?"

"Can….gasp…. I… gasp…. Catch….gasp…. my breath?" I choked out between coughing and gasping for breath. "I just ran all the way from 5th avenue, there was an accident and I really didn't want to be later than I already was."

"Alright, I'll just let you present tomorrow." She turned to her next victim that gave a speech about electric cars.

The only thing I can think of right now is how despite the trouble she caused; Amelia still got her Starbucks Chai Tea Latte.

I saw her in the hallway after class was dismissed. She stood out like a Barbie in a sea of Playschool toys. Mr. Hexameter was giving her the standard tour and all of a sudden she spotted me. I pretended not to see her, but that didn't stop her from screaming out in French "Oh my, it's my cousin Kate!" and ran down the hall to hug me.

Everyone stared. They were already staring because of how she looked; now they were staring because this bombshell was hugging the Drama Geek. How embarrassing.

Who was that? L

Leah, my best friend asked in note she passed during our Economics class

My cousin, Amelia. K

Amelia, as in Royal Lush Amelia? L

That she is. K

Why didn't you tell me she was your cousin that time we were busting on her? L

Because she's an embarrassment to the family? K

Oh… well, its still cool that you're related to royalty. L

It's not like I get any of the perks. I've never even been to Genovia. K

That's too bad. Oops, movies over gotta stop passing notes. L

By the time 8th period ended and I could go to auditions, it had gotten all around school that I was related to Amelia. I thought arriving separately with my 5k run to school and she in her dented limo would have thrown them off at least a day.

But at least its time for Drama Club.

I want to go back in time to when the only drama in my life was Drama Club…

Now Amelia is making Drama Club even more Dramatic, with her coming and stealing the lead from me.

So what if the musical we are doing is one that was written by HER Grandmother? Who cares?

So what if the musical is actually about her ancestor and the role was actually created for her mom.

She can't even carry a tune in a bag!

So what if I'm jealous for no good reason besides the fact that Nick is playing her opposite.

I actually thought about dropping out of the auditions once the director announced we were doing Braid! as the fall musical. I groaned, because I saw that on Broadway with my parents and aunt and uncle the day it opened and I thought it sucked.

Nick talked me into staying and I did, and I auditioned opposite of him. We were good. I was really into it.

Just as we got to the scene of him declaring his love for me, the doors in the back of the house slammed open and Amelia walked in.

I walked down from the stage and hissed under my breath, "what are you doing here?'

She just flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at me as if I were the one that destroyed precious brain cells with 100 proof vodka.

"My mother told me I have to be in more extracurricular activities. So what is this anyway?"

The director came over really excited and talked about the musical and invited her to audition.

She stunk, everyone knows she stunk. But all Mr. Elude could think of was all the tickets he could sell if the Princess had the leading role of Rosagunde.

So now she's in the guest room on the phone talking excitedly to someone in German about the play, while I'm sulking in my room because I get to be in charge of costumes instead of being in the play.

How in the world is this at all fair?

I returned to my room after dinner. Amelia spent most of it speaking in German. I think she figured out that none of us understand German. I can speak French, English, and Yiddish. It is funny listening to her speak in German to whoever is on the other end of the very long distant call. Every now and then she says the word 'like'. Not in German, or French her native language, but in English. We tuned her out as we ate dinner, but my ears would always perk when I heard that familiar word. I excused myself to come back here and do some homework. So I probably should work on that since I missed almost every class today.

Everything is GONE! I opened my laptop to retype my journal entries from today into my hard drive (I'm terrified that I'll loose my notebook on the bus and I won't be able to look back on these impressionable years of my life) and went to my music database and it's all gone. Year's worth of collecting the best rock music in the world and its all gone, 23,987 songs are missing. I then went to check my journal database, that's gone too! Everything is gone. My report that is due tomorrow, my college entrance essays, everything.

I started to hyperventilate and my eyes crossed and the next thing I knew I woke up on the floor with my dad above me checking my pulse and my mom down the hall screaming into the phone for an ambulance.

"Lilly! She's fine, she woke up," my dad yelled to her. He helped pull me up to sit on the bed. I was confused at first. I looked around the room to try and figure out what happened. I saw my computer chair laying on its back and my laptop. The moment I looked at the 0 documents on the screen I burst into tears.

"Dad," I sobbed, "Everything is gone. I don't know what happened, but my music, my documents, my games, they are not there anymore."

Amelia must have finally gotten off her phone to see what all the commotion was.

"What's her problem?" She asked stepping into my room.

"My hard drive got wiped!" I screamed and threw my self into my pillows.

"Your what?"

"Kate's computer must have had an error and everything got deleted," my dad answered with more sense than I could ever have at this moment.

"Oh, I did that. You had so much stuff in there it wouldn't recognize my Ipod to charge it so I made room." She answered so plainly, so casually, that I just stared at her in amazement. She deleted my whole life so she could charge the battery on a piece of crap Mp3 player?

"You fucking bitch!" I screamed and went to leap at her but my dad caught me around the waist and pulled me back onto the bed.

"Amelia, you should probably go back to your room, and lock the door." My dad said sternly. That's right dad, you go protect the brat that just ruined your daughter's only chances of getting into Columbia, and Yale, and whatever other school I want to go to.

I'll get her, I swear to god I will.


End file.
